


Between the Lost and the Fallen

by vericus



Category: Transformers Generation One
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-13
Updated: 2012-06-13
Packaged: 2017-11-07 16:21:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/433111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vericus/pseuds/vericus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes you can be so close to events that you get completely caught up in them, and fail to see when you become the very thing you despise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Between the Lost and the Fallen

Megatron sat alone in the Nemesis control room, feet propped up on the control console. The only light in the room coming from the large screens above the consol, which he was currently watching. They were split in half - one side was playing the most accurate and up-to-date pilfered copied of the Autobot war records, the other half showed the Decepticon version of the same. The Decepticon leader's gaze flicked back and forth between them irritably, and every once and awhile, he would grumble something to himself, inaudible even if there had been anyone else in the room. He didn't move when the door opened behind him, a figure stepping into the dark room and coming warily to stand beside him. The newcomer looked at the screens with wary curiosity, not understanding what he'd been called here for.

Megatron suddenly jerked forward, slapping the 'pause' button on the console and freezing the screens in place. Records on the screen showed the aftermath of a battle - Autobots helping refugees from a destroyed settlement on one side, and on the other, a Decepticon convoy loaded with resources, headed away from the smoking ruins shown on the other screens.

"Tell me, Starscream. When did we become the same thing we started fighting against?" Megatron asked after staring at the screen for several moments. Beside him, his second looked down at him in surprise, then up at the screens thoughtfully. It was another long moment before he answered.

"When Optimus became Prime," the seeker said bluntly.

"So long ago?" Megatron mused. Starscream shrugged.

"We became the bad guys when the Autobots became the good guys. And that happened when Optimus became Prime."

"How did we not notice? How did I not notice when I became the monster?" Megatron asked, his voice full of regret.

"None of us expected the rebellion to be easy. We expected to have to fight long and hard to gain our rights, our freedom, back," Starscream said slowly. "I suppose we just couldn't comprehend when we managed to win within a vorn. So we kept fighting - fighting against a Prime that we'd already killed."

"Sentinel was not the only one we fought against."

"No, but he was at the spark of it all - at the center of the government, allowing things to get as bad as they did. Optimus could, and did, change everything," Silence fell for a long moment. Megatron still considered the two screens, but Starscream was observing his leader. Something drastic had changed in his commander these last few earth days, the seeker knew. He'd seen it happening, but had been wary, wondering just what those changes were.

Now Starscream could see - they were for the better. They were leading the Decepticon Warlord towards something Starscream had only vaguely dreamed might someday be possible. He'd been one of the first Megatron had recruited, and had stuck by him for so long out of loyalty. Even his attempts at betrayal had been done out of loyalty, because he'd known for some time that this war had to end, but that Megatron could not end it. He was caught in a cycle of violence that he had no idea how to break. He had no diplomatic training, he didn't know _how_ to stop fighting and make peace, and didn't have the desire to learn it, either. Starscream had tried to take over so that he could show his leader how to do that.

At the same time, however, Starscream had promised himself that should the imposing silver mech ever show the slightest inclination towards making peace, he would do all he could to encourage and support it. Starting with small bribes, if necessary. With a smirk, Starscream turned his optics to the scream in front of them and spoke.

"If you sign a peace treaty with them, I'll tune my voice back to it's normal register."

"Done!" Megatron declared, sitting up and palming the lights back on. Starscream sniggered. "But you get to write it."

"Fragger," the seeker swore as Megatron smirked back at him, and Starscream realized that his leader had already decided to make peace even before he spoke. This wasn't an opportunity, this was _it._ For that reason alone, Starscream was grinning as he headed back to his quarters, already thinking of the various clauses for the peace treaty. And also laughing inside as the various Decepticons scurried out of his way, terrified at the sight of him smiling. He contemplated humming to himself, too, just to see how much he could freak them out, but figured it probably wouldn't do, in the days to come, to be remembered as having been _too_ cheerful about the peace. Megatron deciding he wanted it was one large step towards making it reality, but there were still two entire armies to convince.


End file.
